Sabres take on League’s best

After a one-game road trip in Carolina, the Sabres head back to Buffalo to host the league’s best, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. at Key;Bank Center.

Season series: This is the third matchup of the season between these two teams. The Sabres won on home ice back on November 13th by a score of 2-1. On November 29th, in a bid for an 11-game winning streak, the Sabres fell in Tampa by a score of 5-4. The fourth and final meeting will come on February 21st in Tampa.

Buffalo notes: The Sabres have failed mightily to muster a winning streak of late. After a great team performance against the New Jersey Devils – a 5-1 win – the Sabres fell in Carolina by a score of 4-3. Despite the loss to the Hurricanes, captain Jack Eichel made his return from injury after a three-game absence. Jeff Skinner also tallied a goal against his former team, his 30th of the season. He will also be attending the All-Star game after winning the “Last Men In” vote.

Lightning notes: The Tampa Bay Lightning are red hot. They hold the league’s top spot in the standings by a large margin with a record of 34-8-2, good for 70 points. They are on a two-game winning streak but are 9-1-0 in their last 10. Andrei Vasilevskiy will take a spot in the All-Star game since goaltender Carey Price will not be attending and Nikita Kucherov leads the NHL in points with 72 (21 goals, 51 assists).

Starting goaltenders: It’s likely Linus Ullmark will get the call in net for Buffalo since Hutton took the game in Carolina. Vasilevskiy should start in goal for the Lightning.